Menu

books for adventurous children

Events

I regularly visit schools, libraries, bookshops and festivals for assemblies, workshops and Q&A sessions. If you’d like to find out more about events, you can reach me here or via social media.

Lexi came to visit us over book week and was really inspirational to our pupils. She helped them see the greater purpose to writing and story telling and our children are now more motivated to write and edit their own work. Her workshops were interactive and engaging for all ages and the children had a great time.

Castle Hill Primary School

Thank you so much for yesterday. The staff were really impressed with your ability to make the children want to find out more about the character. They loved how interactive you made the assembly and how you’ve made them want to read more!

St Leonard’s Primary School

A massive thank you for today! The children loved it and most of them started to write their stories straight after the assembly.

Parsons Green Preparatory School

Thank you for coming into our school. We really enjoyed your visit. The pupils all got involved with the workshop. It was a fabulous afternoon, and we look forward to using some of the techniques you shared as well as those that are available in your Creative Writing Skills book.

The Moat School

Thank you sooooooooo much.

West Hill Primary School

A huge thank you for yesterday. The children fed back some brilliant tips from your workshop in assembly this morning – they clearly gained a lot from it and are hyped for the competition next week.

Parkgate House Preparatory School

Recent events

Don’t let Coronavirus put an end to author visits! I just did a great Skype one with Georgian Gardens Community Primary School.

I made the World Book Day Wall! Huge thanks to Parkgate House for inviting me to join their celebrations.

Guess I’m in here today! Thanks to The Moat School for such a lovely warm welcome and buzzing workshops 🙂

Gorgeous morning for two more school visits. And I have chair envy!

First in a series of workshops at Christ Church Primary with a wonderfully engaged Yr 4

Really busy KS2 creative writing workshops today ahead of the school competition next week – completely forgot to take any pics – oops!

With my Book PenPals working on one of my favourite activities.

Character activity

Benny the Badger

A mountain of books signed and ready for the book-loving Year 6 at West Hill Primary.

Signed and ready for the workshop

First session at the new Clapham venue of the All Write Now creative writing club – we’re doing twisted fairy tales this term – soooo much excitement.

All quiet – waiting for 120 pupils to come back after lunch at Ellingham Primary.

I grew up in the Highlands so visiting the lovely new library in Ballater was a real treat.

Ballater Library

Very busy creative writing workshop at the wonderful Waterstones Uxbridge store as part of their summer activity programme.

Creative writing workshop

Nearly the end of term but still time for my last few school visits. Great fun at the leafy London St Matthias.

Just a few spaces remaining for this event I’m co-hosting with author Sue Wickstead at the Festival of Chichester.

The very lovely Natasha at Chicken & Frog bookstore in Brentwood before our Creative Writing Club.

Natasha at Chicken & Frog

Another bookstore signing – this time the super friendly WHSmiths in Chichester, and a rare appearance from my legs – I live in trousers. Can’t recall when I last wore a skirt!

WHSmith Chichester

Langley Green Primary, West Green Primary and Three Bridges Primary – hoping the teachers got pictures as with over a hundred children in every session I was busy 🙂 Great qs. Including what’s my least favourite food – it’s custard!

Loved meeting Year 4 at Milton Mount. First time I’ve been mobbed for autographs in the playground!

Year 5 at Hilltop Primary managed to catch a whole range of my strange photo faces!

Years 3 to 5 at Seymour Primary asked loads of brilliant qs. So many that I completely forgot to take a picture!

Crawley WordFest on Saturday 16 March 2019 was utterly buzzing. I ran workshops on book cover design, creative writing and badge making so it was a busy day. And one of the Dad’s made me a book cover for the sequel to Eternal Seas!

Book cover designers at work

Story planning

A gorgeous sunny spring morning at Chichester Free School ready for KS2 assemblies

And a lovely pic sent to me by a mum of her daughter and friend after today’s school visit. I just love getting pics like these. Shared with permission (of course).

What a way to start Book Week – assemblies for 240 children at Clapham Manor School.

And a grown up book signing involving wine!

Thanks to the lovely staff at WHSmith in Putney for welcoming me into their store.

In WHSmith in Putney

My first school visit of 2019 was to the wonderful St Paul’s School in Chessington. Despite PowerPoint deciding to change my font so my name looks like Lexj (obviously pronounced Lex-J, like Jay-Z), it was a great afternoon with loads of questions from the years 3 and 4.

Last library visit of 2018 – York Gardens Library. This venue is special to me as I was involved in the campaign to save it from closure a few years ago.

Book signing at York Gardens Library

Final school visit of the year – full assembly and two workshops for years 3 to 6 at St Saviour’s in December.

Ready to do assembly and workshops

Preparing for the Sacred Heart Primary School author talk and workshop with Year 5 in December.